The invention relates to vehicles, and more particularly to a floating track device for releasably attaching to a drive mechanism of the vehicle for supporting, floating, moving and steering the same on any traveling surfaces.
Various special amphibious all terrain vehicles are known in the art. However, these known vehicles usually have a limitation in their use and cannot be used in all seasons and over all types of traveling surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,025 granted on Aug. 24, 1976 to Russell discloses a floating track device that is solely used for flotation purpose, a separate tracking system is used to track the vehicle on water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,093 granted on Apr. 20, 1976 to Poche discloses a heavy load amphibious vehicle with permanent floating tracks that only help for the floatation of the vehicle which already includes its inflated hulls as main floatation means. The tracks are not used for all traction, steering and floating purposes of the vehicle on all types of surfaces.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a floating track device that obviates the above mentioned disadvantages.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a floating track device adaptable to wheeled and tracked existing vehicles with maximum all terrain mobility, so as to be retro-fitted thereon.
An advantage of the present invention is that the floating track device provides efficient propulsion on solid ground, water and in-between type grounds.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that the floating track device requires low energy propulsion compared with existing hovercrafts.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the floating track device is a safe design due to the plurality of independent floatable bodies, compared to hull design floating bodies.
Still a further advantage of the present invention is that the floating track device is of a simple economic construction.
Another further advantage of the present invention is that the floating track device is service friendly with multiple independent floating bodies.
An advantage of the present invention is that the floating track device is adaptable to a wheeled or tracked vehicle to combine flotation propulsion (traction) and steering of the vehicle, and that can be mounted to a wide range of vehicles from light-duty (as bicycle and the like) to heavy-duty vehicles (as existing track vehicles) to make it usable on any traveling surface; giving to the vehicle a maximum all terrain mobility.
Yet another further advantage of the present invention is that the a floating track device can be used as a basis for new design of total mobility vehicles that could be utilized in the field of transportation without any need of docking system or the like.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided herein, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to an aspect, the present invention consists of a floating track device far attaching to a drive mechanism of a vehicle for supporting, floating, moving and steering the vehicle on a traveling surface, said floating track device comprises an endless belt member for weight supporting the vehicle on the traveling surface; said endless belt member including: generally elongated floating members positioned adjacent and in a parallel side-to-side relationship relative to each other so as to form said endless belt member; each of said floating members comprising an inner surface section and an outer surface section; each said inner surface section directly, releasably, and pivotally attached to adjacent said inner surface sections about a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said inner surface sections so as to allow pivotal movement therebetween; each said inner surface section having an internal corrugation for releasable driving engagement with the vehicle drive mechanism; said outer surface section forming an external corrugation of said endless belt member for traction on the traveling surface; and said inner surface section and outer surface section of a respective said floating member being connected to form a housing in which a buoyant body is disposed.
Typically, the buoyant body is generally elongated for longitudinal and slidable engagement with respective said floating member.
Alternatively, each of said complementary inner and outer surface sections are peripherally sealed to each other so as to form a sealed floating member housing, and said buoyant body is a gaseous material enclosed within said sealed floating member housing.
According to another aspect, the present invention consists of a floating track device for attaching to a drive mechanism of a vehicle for supporting, floating, moving and steering the vehicle on a traveling surface, said floating track device comprises an endless belt member for weight supporting the vehicle on the traveling surface; said endless belt member including: an endless inner belt layer defining a plurality of adjacent inner surface sections therealong; each said inner surface section including an internal corrugation for releasable driving engagement with the vehicle drive mechanism, a plurality of outer surface sections, each said outer surface section attaching to a respective said inner surface section, each said outer surface section and complementary respective said inner surface section being connected to form a generally elongated floating member housing such that said endless belt member has a plurality of such floating member housings formed from the plurality of complementary inner and outer surface sections; each of said outer surface sections forming an external corrugation of said endless belt member for traction on the traveling surface; said floating member housings being disposed in generally parallel relationship to one another; each said floating member housing having a buoyant body releasably engaged therein; and holding means for connecting each said belt outer surface section to respective complementary inner surface section.
In one embodiment, the holding means includes an internal component protruding inwardly from a respective said inner surface section, each said internal component forming said internal corrugation of a respective said inner surface section.
In one embodiment, the outer surface sections adjacently extend from one another so as to form an endless outer belt layer, said inner and outer belt layers being in a generally superposed relationship relative to each other.
Typically, each of said inner surface sections forms an internal corrugation of said endless belt member, each said internal corrugation being substantially parallel to a respective complementary said external corrugation.
Typically, each of said internal corrugations is a substantial mirror image of its complementary external corrugation.
In one embodiment, each of said outer surface sections releasably connects to respective said inner surface sections.
In one embodiment, the drive mechanism includes wheels, said floating track device including a link system for releasably connecting said endless belt member to the wheels.
Typically, the vehicle further includes a steering mechanism, said link system including an adapter hardware for mounting on the vehicle so as to modify the steering mechanism of the vehicle to enable driving and steering the vehicle with said floating track device attached thereto.
According to another aspect, the present invention consists of a floating track kit for retro-fittingly attaching to a drive mechanism of an existing vehicle for supporting floating, moving and steering the existing vehicle on a traveling surface, the existing vehicle having two lateral sides with the drive mechanism thereon, the kit including at least one floating track device as defined above for each lateral side of the existing vehicle.
Preferably, the existing vehicle is a track vehicle having a vehicle track on each of lateral side thereof, each floating track device being for releasable attachment to a respective of the vehicle tracks.
Preferably, the kit includes an extension hardware for mounting on the existing vehicle so as to allow for attachment of elongated versions of the floating track devices to the existing vehicle.